Film winding device



s. REZA-BEK ETAL FILM WINDING DEVICE March 30, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 17, 1951 fizven 707:3,- RI QM mwl 0M MW- at M if iiar'ngys March 30, 1954 s. REZA-BEK ETAL 2,673,734

FILM WINDING DEVICE Iv Filed April 17, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 InvenZowsx a! MKMWWLM mm YW 4 March 30, 1954 s, REZA-BEK ET AL 2,673,734

FILM WINDING DEVICE Filed April 17, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 jwverziarw MM M1 Patented Mar. 30, 1954 2,673,734 FILM WINDING DEVICE Sonia Reza-Bek and David Korganian, also known as David Korganolf, Paris, France Application April 17, 1951, Serial No. 221,432

Claim'spriority, application France February 9, 1951 Claims.

This invention relates to novel improvements in devices for winding tapes having a certain amount of rigidness, and more particularly, in film windingdevices.

In the motion picture art, it is customary to wind a film from a feed reel onto a take-up reel, during projection, and then to re-wind the film from the take-up reel back onto the feed reel in order to bring the head end of the film in position for another projection. This step of re-winding the film is inconvenient and requires considerable time and labor.

It has been already proposed, for eliminating this step of rewinding the film, to wind the film directly from the feed reel of the projecting apparatus onto a take-up reel in such a manner that the head end of the film is disposed on the outermost winding turnof the film roll in position to be fed directly therefrom, e. g. through a projection apparatus.

This mode of winding, however, usually requires synchronizing mechanisms since the takeup reel, though the film is 'fed thereto with a constant linear speed, rotates at a continuously varying speed, due to the progressive increase of the radial thickness of the roll.

An object of our invention is to provide a film winding device in which the film is fed in a well defined direction onto a freely rotated support which is adapted to have its axis describing,

against the action of elastic means, an arcuate stroke around a fixed axis parallel to the axis of said support as the rolling operation proceeds, so that the spiral along which the film is to be wound is continuously maintained tangent with the feed direction of the film, abutment means being provided on the periphery of said support to receive at least the leading end of the outermost winding turn of the roll while making the same fast with said support.

This arrangement permits emitting a synchronizing device since the rotation of the support is determined by the feeding of the film itself. This rotation, in combination with said angular displacement of the support axis, permits rolling the film, while the action of said elastic means ensures a tight winding thereof.

However, if the film roll thus obtained is to be removed from said support to be mounted later on the Retired, this gives rise to certain difficulties of manipulation, in particular with small ('8 mm. or 16 mmyfilms, due to the absence of any rigid member capable of supporting the film during this operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a 2 film winding device of the type described, in which the film is wound with its leading end outermost on a rigid support capable of constituting the core and one flange of a rigid reel. said support and the film roll wound thereon being removable as a whole assembly to be directly substituted for a similar core and flange assembly constituting a removable portion of the feed reel when the film is to be projected again.

A further object of the invention is to provide a film winding device of the type described, in which said support offers a series of circular concentric steps superimposed to each other from the periphery to the axis of said support and constituting both a stepped core and one flange of a reel body.

Thus, the film is first wound on the outermost step until the next superimposed step is reached when the film climbs on this latter step, this first film package being thus clamped between its outermost turn held by the above mentioned abutment means and the shouldering between the first and second said steps. The second film package is then rolled and clamped between the innermost turns of the first package and the second shouldering between the second and third step and so on. There is thus obtained in the same time a rigid core on which the film is efiectively wound though this winding takes place from the periphery towards the axis of said core anda flange offering to the film roll a support parallel to its stepped winding planes. When the roll is completely wound, it thus ofiers the shape of a plurality of co-axial cylinders of different diameters. The tightening of the film turns is perfectly ensured, which avoids, particularly during the subsequent projection of the film, any unwanted release of the turns.

Further .to the above main objects, the invention also. consists in a number of novel and improved constructive embodiments as exposed hereunder and as claimed in the appended claims.

In one embodiment, the above mentioned support is removably mounted, at the winding station, on a pivot provided at the end of a pivotally mounted arm urged in one rotation direction by elastic means and adapted to hold the above mentioned spiral tangent to the feeding direction of the film, said feeding being ensured by a suitable mechanism fed in turn from, e. g. the projection apparatus and driven by any suitable means such as an electric motor. In this case the outer periphery of the said support carries a simple spring-clip articulated on the support and adapted to be brought, for winding, in a position right-angled to the plane of said support, the leading end of the film being first engaged into said clip, whereupon a few turns are made manually, said turns constituting an outer wall against which the next inner turns will be tightly wound.

This embodiment has the complementary advantage of securing the outer leading end of the film which is tightly wound on its support, so that any risk of sudden unwinding of the roll during a manipulation thereof is avoided.

For unwinding, it suffices to release from the aforesaid clip the leading end of the film, bringing said clip into the horizontal plane and engaging said leading end in the driving device of the projecting apparatus.

According to another feature of the invention, there is provided, at the feeding station, a device comprising a pivot adapted to receive the assembly constituted by the above mentioned support and a roll of film'wound thereon and further comprising a disk having a slightly conical shape pivoted about an axis supported by a hinged arm so designed that, when said conical disk is lowered 'on the above mentioned assembly, said disk and said assembly are made co-axial with one another while said disk is pressed upon the inner turns of the film roll by gravity.

The aforesaid disk thus constitutes a second removable flange capable of completing the core and flange of any reel assembly obtained at the winding station of the device according to the invention, said second flange holding, during the feeding of the film, the inner turns thereof tightly wound.

In another embodiment, there is provided for each reel comprising a support and a film roll wound thereon an individual and removable cylindrical dish-like box adapted to ensure the subsequent protection of the stored film.

This last arrangement permits avoiding even the simple manipulation consisting in putting the film roll into a box, since said roll is directly wound on its support and in its box.

According to another feature of the invention, each one of said boxes is adapted to be directly mounted with the film roll contained therein on the pivot at the feeding station, which permits avoiding even the simple manipulation consisting in removing the film roll from a box.

In this embodiment, the unwinding of the film takes place through a slot which is opened in the reel cylindrical wall before unwinding, this operation releasing at the same time the above mentioned support which is thence capable of freely rotating on the pivot at the feeding station,

.means being moreover provided to hold the box stationary so that the aforesaid slot remains in a fixed angular position.

In a particular constructive embodiment, the

cylindrical wall of the dish-like box is constituted by two semi-circular leaf-springs .urged from one another, said springs being secured near each other by one outwardly folded end on a plate constituting the bottom of the dish-like box and means so that they clamp between them the cylindrical wall of the support thus making the same rotatively fast with the bottom of the box, while, for unwinding, the unlocking of said means releases the spring ends which are then urged from one another, thus offering a passage for the film to be paid out while leaving the support free to rotate on its pivot.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to adapt the above described device to any usual type of film projector.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more easily understood with reference to the appended drawings in which some embodiments thereof have been shown as a mere illustration.

In these drawings;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a film winding device according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is an axial section of a film reel obtained by means of said device.

Figs. 3 to 6 show another embodiment of the reel body.

Figs. '7 to 10 show the adaptation of the device according to the invention to a projector for standard (e. g. mm.) films.

Fig. 11 shows the adaptation of a device according to the invention to a projector for small films.

Referring first to Fig. 1, an arm I2 is articulated on a rod I3 supported on a base Ila so as to be capable of describing around said rod I3 an arcuate stroke in a plane parallel to said base; a spring I4 urges arm I2 in one direction. A pivot 38 is screwed at 3 I on the free end of arm I2. Two orthogonal shafts 34 and 35 are mounted on a bracket I I and a support 33 carried thereby, each one of said shafts carrying a bevel pinion '6 and 1, respectively, said pinions being rotatively fast on their respective shafts. Each shaft 34, 35 further carries a sprocket 5 and 4, respectively, also rotatively fast and driving a film 2. Curved leaf-springs 35 and 31 suitably apertured hold film 2 elastically in mesh with the teeth of sprockets 4 and 5. Film 2 is guided onto sprocket 4 through a series of guiding rollers 38, 39, 40 suitably located so that the film, before reaching sprocket 4, may be guided through a projector 3 (indicated diagrammatically). Sprockets 4 and 5 are both driven at the same speed from a suitable motor, e. g. an electrical motor (not shown). After leaving sprocket 5, the film runs on a loose roller IE! which is supported on an axis mounted on bracket I I, the film being held in engagement with sprocket 5 and guided past the roller III by the curved leaf-spring 31 which guides it tangentially against the inwardly growing roll.

In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the roll is wound on a support M which offers a series of steps 42 and which is freely rotatable on pivot 30 through a washer 32. The variation of level of support 4| required to determine stepped winding planes is ensured by a sloping surface 82 on which rests a roller 83 carried on arm l2. Steps 42 divide roll 43 into several packs, each bearing by its innermost turn on a circular shouldering, which serves to prevent any unwanted sudden release of the film roll.

In this embodiment, the leading outer end of the film is secured on the periphery of support 4| by means of a spring-clip 45 constituted by two spring-leaves between which the film is to be engaged, said clip 45 being articulated about an axis 45 so that it may be erected at right angle to the plane of the support..

The leading end of the film being thus secured,

a few} turns should be manuall-y *formed around 1 the outermost step of the support whereupon said turns act as an outer wall against which the film is wound tangentially and from inside.

When the film is completely woundyit suffices to remove assembly-"M-43 and to mount-thesame', at the feedingstation, as indicated'at 41,"-

43': 'I'his' assembly "is then completed by a coni-- cal disk it freely rotatable on a pivot-42 se-' cured at the end'of an arm 41 which is so hinged that, in the position shown in Figs: 1 and -2, axes 42 and of both real portions are aligned while the "conical surface of disk 44 exertsby gravity onithe last inner turns of roll 33 a pressure sumcient to maintain saidturns as the film'is payed" out.

It is to be understood that the-film shown at 2 is not necessarily fed from the assembly 4l'-43'--' I lowerface of plate 32a rests, at the feeding station, on an abutment not shownneo as to hold plate 32a stationary. while, at the winding .sta-

tion, as shown in Fig. 5, there is interposed on pivot 30, between arm l2 and plate 32a, a washer 4?: which is at least slightly thicker than pin 48,

so that plate 32a is capable of rotating freely. Plate 32a constitutes the bottom of a dish-like member the cylindrical wall of which is constituted by two semi-circular leaf-springs 59, 5| secured at one end 52, 5 5, respectively, which end is folded outwardly, at two adjacent points near the periphery of plate 32a, as shown at 54 and st, respectively, the original tension of springs 55, 5! being such that the same are normally urged away from one another toward the position shown in Fig. 4. at which they are stopped by abutments 5B and 5'5, respectively provided on the periphery of plate 32a. Spring 59 carries a hook 58 articulated at 59 and cooperating, as

shown in Fig. 6, with a pin 60 provided on the J other spring 51, so that when after having brought springs to and 54 together, which may be effected e. g. by means of two studs GI and 32 respectively, pin 69 is engaged in hook 58,

springs E5 3 and 5! are thence held in the position shown in Fig. 3 in which the periphery of a stepped support similar to that of the above described embodiment and shown at cm is clamped by said springs. Thus, any film roll (not shown) wound on said step support is also clamped within said springs. The design of support Ma differs from support 41 in that instead of being provided with an axial bore, support 41a is only provided with a central hole 63 which only extends along a portion of its thickness, so that once the support is mounted on the pivot in said hole, said support not only rotates freely on said pivot, but furthermore it does not rest on plate 32a; its freedom of rotation thus cannot be impaired through a friction on said plate. In the 6 the assembly comprising theplate and springs is held stationary as described above by means ofp'in 48, support Ma then being free for rotating on its pivot. The film is payed out through the slot formed'between the free ends of springs 5!] audit when the sameare spaced from each other.-

Figs. '7 to 10 show an illustrative manner of adapting a device according to the invention to a projector for standard films.

tected both at the feeding and winding stations by means of metal sheets, as shown at 64 (Fig.

7) in which is cut a circular opening 65 closed by a-hinged cover 860 To adapt the device according to the invention to each station, it sufiices to substitute for cover 65 a ring 66a, this assembly being completed by two arms 61 and 68 mounted on ring 66aand on'e'of which carriesfla-pivot30c, while the other one'icarries, Lat thefeeding station, :axis: 42 and conical disk 44 described above." For feeding 'afilm-intoa projector, .it suffices to mounton pivot 360 e. g. the 'assembly'described with reference 4 to Figs. 3 to 6, the pin 48 of which is then held stationary by the abutment shown at 69. At the winding station, the disposition should be similar,=the assembly 42-44- being however substituted'by the feeding and guiding device described with reference to Fig. l, the abutment 69 being moreover omitted. Thankstothe hinged articulation of ringtta, it is easier to mount or re-- move the'film reels. The whole assembly is protected by a hooding, as shown at 10, which may be in turn articulated on the same hinge as ring 66a. Finally, there is shown in Fig. 11 an illustrative manner of adapting a device according to the invention to a pro ector for small films.

There is provided for this purpose, according to another feature of the invention, an adaptor comprising a base ll intended to be secured, e. g. by means of a screw 12, on the base of the projection apparatus and which carries a substantially vertical rod 73 along which are slidably mounted two sleeves 14, 15 to be located in any desired position along rod 13, e. g. by means of screws 16 and 11, each one of said sleeves carrying an arm 18 and 19, respectively right-angled with the rod and carrying in turn, the first one, the winding station and, the other one, the feeding station of the device according to the invention. At and 8! are shown the normal winding and feeding stations of the projection apparatus; it will be easily understood that, if it is desired to project a film wound on a conventional reel, it suflices to mount the same in the usual feeding station 8| of the projector from which said film may be wound on a support and possibly in a box a-ccording to the invention, as described previously. After this first winding operation, each new projection of the film will take place from the feeding station according to the invention. Similarly, if, for any reason, it is desired to obtain from a reel according to the invention a reel wound in the conventional manner, i. e. with the leading end innermost, it will be suflicient to use the usual winding station of the projection apparatus.

It is to be understood that the invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described and shown. In particular, the number, height, radial size, etc. of the support steps may vary within wide limits within the scope of the invention as claimed in the appended claims.

It is known that in such an apparatus, the film reels are pro- What is claimed is:

1. In a mechanism for winding a motion picture film with the leading end outermost, a horizontally disposed removable and freely rotatable disk member having its upper face formed with a plurality of concentric steps ascending toward the centre of said disk member, the horizontal parts of said steps forming a receiving support for the film and the vertical part of each step forming an inner core for the film portion supported by the preceding lower horizontal part, means for retaining said leading end at least against outward movement disposed adjacent the peripheral edge of said disk member whereby said film can be manually coiled with said end outward to form outer windings resting against said retaining means, and means for directing the film circumferentially into engagement with said outer windings to thereby rotate said disk member and to progressively form successive compact coil portions wound internally toward and upon said cores.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1 in which the retaining means is a clip pivotally mounted on the periphery of the disk and movable alternately into film-engaging position and into filmreleasing and feeding position.

3. A mechanism according to claim 1 which includes a fiat disk with which the stepped disk is rcoaxially and rotatably associated and in which the retaining means comprises at least one armate band mounted on the periphery of the flat disk and adapted to be alternately clamped against the periphery of the stepped disk to prevent relative rotation thereof and released to permit rotation of said stepped disk and free feeding of the film.

4. A mechanism according to claim 1, in which means are provided for maintaining a substantially constant relation between said horizontal portions of the upper disk face and said film directing means.

5. In a motion picture projector having a feed reel shaft and a receiving reel shaft, a reel comprising a disk arranged to be alternately and rotatably mounted upon said feed reel shaft and upon said receiving reel shaft, said disk having one face provided with concentric steps ascending toward the centre of the disk, and a holding device mounted adjacent the peripheral edge of said disk to retain the end of a film to be wound internally on said reel.

SONIA REZA-BEK. DAVID KORGANIAN. Also known as David Korganofi.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,119,489 Bingham Dec. 1, 1914 1,134,664 Bingham Apr. 6, 1915 1,411,106 Judd Mar. 28, 1922 2,269,653 Feller Jan. 13, 1942 2,335,179 Feller Nov. 23, 1943 2,481,708 Adams Sept. 13. 1949 

